It's often neglected

Bedroom storage is often the last thing to be considered. Comfort is the top priority in your bedroom, but that doesn't mean you should ignore your bedroom storage space.

Of all the rooms in your home, your bedroom will need ample storage. So think about your storage needs right from the start. If you're fortunate enough to have a separate dressing room, you won't have to think quite so much about available space. But the suggestions here will still be useful.

Get organized

If you have a small bedroom, whatever you do, don't make do with a smaller bed than you'd like, just to make more room. The bed is the most important item, so get the best you can.

Once you have the bed, don't cram other furniture into the room. Lying in bed with furniture towering over you can have a claustrophobic effect. You'll also need space to move comfortably around the room. So here again a piece of graph paper and a measure will pay dividends.

Free standing or fitted?

Free standing bedroom storage will be more practical if you know you'll be moving home at frequent intervals. But fitted storage takes up less room. This is sometimes a difficult decision to make, but worth a little thought.

The traditional wardrobe can still provide excellent storage space as well as being an attractive piece of furniture.

You can buy free standing furniture which has a 'built-in look' to it, and this may give you the best of both worlds.

If you're looking for an inexpensive option and you have an alcove or two supporting walls, here's what you can do. Fit a strong shelf supported on either side, and attach a hanging rail to it to support coat hangers. Then have a piece of cloth, either flat or gathered like a curtain, over the front to conceal the clothes.

If you are thinking of buying a new bed you could get one with storage space in the base section. Many manufacturers make beds with drawers in the base, and these give a surprising amount of bedroom storage space.

You may already have a framed bed, such as a traditional brass bedstead. If so, you could have a valance made to reach from the mattress to the floor to cover the space under the bed. You could then use that space for storage by using containers, or having drawer units built to fit.

Most bedside cabinets are ridiculously small, with barely enough room for a lamp and a glass of water! Get some decent sized ones, with shelves for books and magazines.

A great way of giving yourself more bedroom storage space is to buy - or have made - a complete unit which fits against the wall at the head of the bed. A piece is fitted across the top linking the two sides. The sides contain shelves in the top sections, table space at the right height, and drawers underneath next to the floor. The top linking section can also house lights.

Another useful item for your bedroom storage is a mobile storage unit. You can wheel it round to the side of the bed to act as a table, or have it at the foot of the bed to support a TV.

If you can use one wall for storage, then having a fitted unit wall to wall and to the ceiling will make the most use of the space and probably give you all the bedroom storage space you will ever need.

The units can be of any style. Traditional styles will have opening doors and drawers, while contemporary ones may have sliding doors, with the inside divided into compartments. One section will be for hanging clothes, another for shelves, and there will be places for shoes, socks, underwear, neckties, etc.

One method of storing shoes is to keep the boxes when you bought them. Boxes stack easily, and if you have shoes which you only use for special occasions, storing them in their original boxes will keep them clean and in shape.

Give yourself plenty of space for hanging your clothes. It's far easier to find what you're looking for if the clothes aren't packed in tightly.

A modern bedroom storage unit with
clean lines and easy to use sliding doors. (Sliding doors are also useful in bedroom with restricted space as they don't open into the room.)

The traditional vanity set

There's a good reason why ladies like vanity sets (also known as dressing tables) - they're very practical. The drawers will contain necessary and personal items. The top surface (especially if it has a glass top) will be ideal for make up items, brushes etc. If the dresser doesn't have an integral mirror, then a free standing triple mirror is ideal.

If you don't have a dresser, an inexpensive option is to use two wooden chests separated by enough space for a chair or stool, and fix a wooden or veneered counter over them. You can stain or paint the unit to fit in with your decor scheme. Again, a triple mirror on the top will complete your dresser.